“We are all here on earth to help others; what on earth the others are here for I don’t know.” W. H. Auden What does it mean to be an ethical choral conductor/director? Our own Choral Ethics code should be a model of behaviors for how we treat our singers, but shouldn’t it be a […]
Leadership
Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: I Don’t Know How She Does It
“If you want something done, ask a busy person to do it. The more things you do, the more you can do.” Lucille Ball I really like helping people with my Choral Ethics project; it brings another layer to what I perceive as my work. In many ways I’ve been preparing to be the Choral […]
Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: Slipping Through the Cracks
“Life is denied by lack of attention, whether it be to cleaning windows or trying to write a masterpiece.” Nadia Boulanger How detail oriented are you? There are plenty of details, having nothing to do with the actual music which must be handled by SOMEONE for any music organization to run smoothly. And if you […]
Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: Audition Time is Here
“We don’t want nobody that nobody sent.” Timothy O’Sullivan, Chicago Ward Committeeman, 1948 It’s that time of year; we are finishing the academic year or our concert cycles and by rights, we should be able to relax. You and I know that isn’t the case at all. If we are in an academic setting, we […]
Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: Let’s Be Nice
“Be nice to people on your way up because you meet them on your way down.” Jimmy Durante We’ve been busy, email-wise, here at Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics during the last few weeks as the choir year ends. Academic programs are finished when school ends. And community programs, with all sorts of different types of choral […]
Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: Kindness is NOT for Wimps
“What wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness?” Jean-Jacques Rousseau It is easy to forget we need to work regularly with others. Unless you are a soloist all the time, you must work with other musicians. Unless you conduct exactly the sort of ensemble you wish, with the musicians you wish, you must […]